Sport and recreational fishing is a popular pastime, and, accordingly, the production of sport fishing equipment has become a very large industry. Critical to every recreational angler is the length and weight of each fish that constitutes their catch. In addition, catch-and-release fishing, for example, is one method which has grown in popularity, either by regulation in some areas, or by the voluntary action of fishermen. In the case of catch-and-release fishing, measurement of at least the length of each fish is an essential part of the fishing experience so that a sport fisherman can relate to others their prowess in catching large fish, albeit to let them go after admiring them. All states and territories of the United States maintain laws and regulations requiring minimum lengths of some fish caught in their jurisdictions. These laws and regulations are intended to reduce the potential for overfishing. However, many states provide for regulations for only specific regions or bodies of water where overfishing is a recognized problem. In addition, the regulations can be quite complex in requiring that fish be kept only if their length is within or outside of very specific ranges, i.e., slot limits allow for keeping fish only (1) above a minimum length, (2) below a lower length above the minimum and (3) above a higher length above the lower length. An example of a slot limit is a minimum length of 12 inches with a lower length of 18 inches and an upper length of 24 inches. A fish with a length of 19 inches could not be kept but a fish with a length of 25 inches could be kept. A length measurement device is clearly critical to the fishing process.
Minimizing handling for both catch-and-release fishing and fishing for keeps aids in maintaining the vitality of the fish. However, upon catching a fish, a fisherman must obtain a handhold on the fish, which is sometimes difficult because the fish is slippery, and is thrashing about, remove the hook from the fish, and place the fish adjacent to some measuring scale, such as a rigid ruler or flexible tape. Then, if the fish does not meet the length requirements or if all fish are released, the fisherman will return the fish back into the water.
All of these actions are difficult to perform, time consuming, and subject the fish to some level of trauma, sometimes needlessly. The time and trauma involved can sometimes lead to major injury, or even the needless death of the fish. While measuring devices abound for caught fish, they are often not usable in the place most advantageous to the health of the fish and to minimizing the thrashing reflex of the caught fish.
The prior art is extensive with respect to devices for catch site measurement of fish caught for recreation (or competition). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,818, 4,631,851, 6,094,996, and 6,615,532 all describe incorporation of a measurement component into a typical hand held net for sport fishing. The disadvantages of such an incorporation are readily apparent. A freshly caught fish will be thrashing vigorously in the net and will need to be restrained and forced into a measuring position adjacent to the measuring component in the net. In addition, the fish typically responds to restraint by arching its body sideways, making measurement difficult or inaccurate.
The prior art also describes incorporation of measurement components in a fishing gaff or other rigid lengths, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,228,226, 4,885,862, 5,934,004, D372,294 and 6,115,932. Various approaches to measuring fish are known in the prior art, but each of the known approaches suffers from certain problems and disadvantages. One common approach is to use a general measuring device, such as a yardstick or tape measure. In this approach the fisherman must simultaneously hold both the fish and the measuring device, properly position the fish relative to the measuring device, and read the length of the fish from the markings on the measuring device while holding the fish in the proper position. In addition to the mechanical difficulty of simultaneously holding, positioning, and measuring, this approach has the serious disadvantages of leading to inaccurate measurements and of exposing both fisherman and fish to injury. These acts are not optional given the penalties, fines and imprisonment that can occur through keeping fish of an illegal length.
Fishermen typically handle fish with their bare hands. It is more practical to perform all fishing tasks with bare hands in light of a high degree of manual dexterity required for other fishing operations, such as tending to reels, rods, lures, bait and fishing lines. Pulling on gloves or picking up a towel or cloth to protect the hands in the act of catching a fish is usually out of the question. It is well known that gloves and towels are used by fishermen in the acts of post-catch activities to protect hands or to wipe surfaces clean, but use of gloves or towels at or immediately after catching a fish is not preferred by them. However, gloves or towels are sometimes used in the act of handling freshly caught fish.
One drawback to use of gloves or towels in handling fish is the quick accumulation of slime and scales on any absorbent surface. Fish have substantial amounts of slime on their outer surfaces for a reason. It protects the fish from bacterial, and fungal infections. So fishermen reserve use of absorbent articles such as towels for wiping their own hands after handling fish to measure them. The thrashing reflex of fish out of water can be more effectively restrained with a dry towel un-infused with fish slime and scales, but the effectiveness of the towel for restraint over a user's hand is dramatically reduced when the towel is wetted and/or coated with fish slime and scales.
There is a need for a sport or recreational fishing device that can be easily used by a fisherman to assist in holding and measuring a freshly caught fish and is incorporated into equipment that a fisherman would typically carry for fishing.